Rockcastle Regional Hospital and Respiratory Care Center

In addition to its Long-term care ventilator specialty, Rockcastle Regional offers chemotherapy, an imaging department with a 64-Slice CT Scan, and a surgery suite. Rockcastle implemented an Electronic Medical Records system to improve patient safety, quality of care, and efficiency.[5] Other services include:[6]

• Occupational Therapy
• Speech Therapy
• Emergency Department
• Physical Therapy
• a Retail Pharmacy
• Mammography
• Infusion Services
• Home health care
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Rockcastle recently partnered with the University of Kentucky Medical Center to host advanced medical specialties. These patients would otherwise have to travel to Lexington. Specialties include:

• Oncology
• Pulmonology
• Cardiology[7]

Rockcastle Regional has specialized in ventilator care since 1980.[8] The hospital takes a holistic approach to respiratory care; the hospital provides daily activities, an on-site chaplain, frequent pet visits, a residents' board and a healing garden. Treatment plans combine Respiratory Therapy with Occupational, Physical and Speech therapy to improve the patients' overall quality of life.[9] Residents are given opportunities for trips outside the hospital grounds to visit family members or local attractions.[10][11] Based on federal surveys, the average anxiety/depression level of a Rockcastle Regional resident is less than half the state average.[12] Additionally, the total number of staff hours worked per patient is 3.5 times greater than the national average.[13]

Rating information for Rockcastle Regional is available from the Healthgrades website. Ten patient safety indicators were available through Healthgrades. Rockcastle received nine average ratings and one worse than average rating. No better than average ratings were received. Patient outcomes for inpatients were recorded for heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia. The hospital received as expected outcomes for the first two categories and a worse than expected outcome for pneumonia for inpatients. Information from patient surveys showed those patients filling out surveys gave Rockcastle ratings either the same as the national average or better for most questions. Two ratings were better than the national average:

• Patients at Rockcastle who gave this hospital a nine or ten were 76% versus 69% for patient ratings of a nine or ten on all other hospitals nationally.
• Rockcastle patients would said they would definitely recommend this hospital were 76% of respondents versus such a rating nationally amongst patients of 70%.[14]

• Official Website
• Kentucky Hospital Association